COMMUNITY
Port St. Lucie Magazine 35
comfortable as a writer,” she says. “I think having
these meetings helps everyone to master their writing
as well as their ability to critique and receive
critiquing.”
For self-published authors, this group is a space
that allows ideas to be bounced around and for members
to receive the much-needed feedback that one
might otherwise get from a publisher or copy editor.
The verbal and written comments provide each
writer with constructive notes that they can implement
into their books.
As each author reads her piece of copy for the
day, the others listen intently and mark notes where
necessary. While there are often minor typographical
errors that others are able to catch, there is also a lot
of positive response.
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS
It is quite visible that the group is made of unique
individuals, every person coming from a different
walk of life. They enter each Thursday ready to offer
support and advice to help their fellow members stay
on track with their stories. At times, there may be
playful disagreements, but they always work it out
in a respectful manner.
Kris Haggblom, owner of the Port St. Lucie
bookstore Poetic Justice, walks over from his shop
to regularly attend meetings. He has made it a point
to frequently hold book signings and author events.
His shop carries a lot of books from these same local
authors and writers. >>
Gene Hull has been group
leader for some time and
helped co-found the group
more than 20 years ago.
He is working on another
self-published book and
is an integral part of the
group’s continued growth.
/www.midlflorida.com
